Ron.M -> RE: Paco in Edinburgh (Oct. 6 2005 20:42:39)
|
You know Mark, I don't think it's got to do with sound reinforcement or anything like that. Now I've had time to let it seep in, here are my views... Paco is a Prima Donna. Not his fault, but from his very early 20's has lived all his life being told that he is the best Flamenco guitarist who has ever lived. He has lived that for almost the last forty years. That has now become his personal identity, the person whom he has to deal with each time he wakes up and looks himself in the mirror in the morning, like Sabicas before him, who would simply not let go of the torch. In fact I have an album of an older Sabicas, just called "Sabicas!!", where he is photographed on the LP cover in a white suit and his $10,000 diamond ring and an unusally bitter expression on his face, just when Paco was just starting to draw extensive public attention. I haven't played it for a long time, but I found the recording quite embarrasing for the man as he tries to take on this "young buck" by trying to play faster and slicker, which of course he is unable to. In fact, he only gets out of his depth and neither sounds like himself or Paco... just like an old man getting up to dance at his son's 21st Birthday Party, thinking "I'll show those whippersnappers how to dance!". He loses his dignity IMO. The truth, IMO is that , if Paco had one encore at the Usher Hall, then Gerardo would have had three. Problem is that Gerardo doesn't have the same credentials as a primary innovator. But he's younger, he's slicker, he's more precise, his music is more organized, his audience presense is much better, he's got a great sense of humour and has a better judgement of musicians he takes on the road with him. Paco's group was a shambles IMO. I felt the singers would have preferred to stand and relate to the audience, but were probably overruled by Paco, since it could possibly appear that they were the featured artist...so they agreed to just content themselves on the money they'd make from the tour. After all...who's the Daddy around here? When I sat in Dundee to see Gerardo, there were five chairs all the same colour and type laid out. One for the Cajón player, the Singer, Gerardo, his wife, the Dancer, and the Bassist. The man is an honest musician, respects his fellow artists and audience...and delivers! In Edinburgh, all the chairs were the same red colour...except for Paco's, which was a special white one and a different style. I don't want to go on too much on this theme, 'cos it's depressing... but I'd really respect Paco if he had to announce his retirement and take his riches he has accumulated and spend more time scuba diving and bringing up his wee girl and accept that everybody loves him for what he's done and the genius he brought to the Flamenco guitar, and to do a final tour playing his "Golden Oldies" that everybody loves him for and stop trying to keep up with the younger and very talented guitarists who are quickly superceding him in technique and performance, rather than waiting until the pendulum swings the other way and is overtaken by a newer and more dynamic player, but still won't let go of that crown. Paco...everybody loves and respects you....you have nothing more to prove!! cheers Ron PS... On a lighter note.. The BBC here had been doing a lot of stuff about Bob Dylan for about two weeks before the Paco concert, inlcuding the Martin Scorcese four hour documentary. For a moment, in the Usher Hall, the devilment in me made me think, after one of his more boring jazzy pieces... "What if I had to stand up right now and shout 'Judas'!..."[:D][:D]..
|
|
|
|